First post in this blog couldn’t be other than the explanation of “Why”… I thought it would be more interesting that the usual “Who we are?”. “Why of the blog” (Meaning), Why of the Blog’s name and Logo (EAMinds) and why of the main background image (LEGOS). All these issues have relation with a basic architectural concept, a concept which many people may use, but I guess few really understand well . .this is “Building Block” (BB). !! What better than a LEGO figure for explaining and make understand what a really BB is 🙂 !!

Due to my professional career, this blog will intend to be focused in Architecture issues, above all Enterprise Architecture issues and Enterprise Architecture modelling language, moreover in the explanation of these concepts inside last trends to be able to collaborate and to enrich our Enterprise Architecture passion. Basically because Architecture matters. EA Minds.

To accomplish this, I’ll be “by the hand” with a young professional who has understood my ideas about Enterprise architecture and architecture model in record time and, in fact I think I managed to instill in her this professional passion, and this is one of the most happiest facts, in professional landscape, I’ve had lately.

But…lets go back to “Building Blocks” topic; inside TOGAF framework a building block is “a package of functionality defined to meet the business needs across an organization“…. !! Wow!!!….Do we get it now? :)… Let’s try explain it in a clearer way inside IT world. A “BB” is a functionality we want to solve, let’s stay here; for instance. Let’s say we want to solve “Logging” of all different software system in our organization. “Logging” will be a BB inside our Architectural repository… but… What can I do now with it? What’s the value of having it in our insight? Here is when different basic concepts are mixed: “ABB” and “SBB”. Everybody talk about BB’s in their diary conversations but few know that there are two types of their “BB”: “Architecture Building Blocks” and “Solution Building Blocks”… to summarize it in a colloquial language: the second one is a materialization of the first one. In previous example, we can resume it in that “ABB” is “Logging” and “SBB” could be “log4j” or “logback” or “commons-logging” or “slf4j” or “log4j2” or… The key point here is having both concepts separately and clear enough because they are basic to understand in a deeper manner another concept very much complex the “Enterprise Architecture Continuum” (this will be in the future another post in the blog).

“Why LEGOS”? LEGOS pieces are the SBB that contribute to build the final result for satisfying the need for make something, in this case the reason and the why of this blog.

The idea of what we want to build is the “ABB” and what we finally build is the materialization of our reason to enjoy for what it is supposed is our passion. I hope that you have now clear enough what are the “archi-appointed in meetings and coffee rooms for all” Building Blocks

To end with this first blog entry I’d like to share a link that explains very clear Why Enterprise architecture is needed. Besides you will see a visual representation of the concept of building block with LEGO’s figures 🙂

I propose you to make yourself a question, now that I hope you have clearer these concepts, from your point of view … What is the principal BB inside an IT organization? I think I have it clear… !! Let’s see if we agree!! Leave your comment with your answer…